You should never wash your contacts in water

Contact lenses are a great invention and alternative to reading glasses, however they really need to be handled with care.

One thing that should never mix with contact lenses is water – yep, simple water!

While water is great for cleaning most things, it could give you an eye infection if you wash your lenses out with it.

You should always use the cleaning solution your eye doctor recommends instead, as a contact related infection can potentially leave you blind.

This is because even water that is safe to drink is filled with bacteria, and then you are putting this in your eye.

Interestingly, contacts can impair the eye’s immune responses, and they interfere with the movement and mixing of your tears. So not only do contacts rinse in water put bacteria into your eyes, they also give bacteria the best chance of multiplying.

Instead, follow these tips for cleaning your contacts properly:

1. Wash your hands so that you don’t transfer dirt and germs to your eye. Make sure you use a chemical-free soap.
2. Remove one lens and clean it with the recommended solution from your optometrist. Rub the lens in the palm of your hand with a few drops of solution, even if you are using a “no-rub” product.
3. Rinse the lens again in the solution to remove the loosened debris.
4. Place the lens in your clean lens case and fill with fresh solution.
5. Repeat steps two through four for your other lens.

Share your other tips below.